The Silver Bullet

“I want a silver bullet,” demanded the client. I asked them to explain. “You know… a video that goes viral, a fancy website or how about an app?!” Sigh. Let’s start from the beginning…

Marketing all begins with a solid foundation of research and analytics. Words and numbers that sketch a picture of your company, competitive landscape and brand. The foundation of your brand story, marketing tools and marketing outlets all begin here. “But, I don’t want research… I want a shiny app!”

What you’re asking for is a silver bullet and unless you believe in werewolves or the Lone Ranger, you won’t find one. Sorry. Marketing, especially today, needs to tell a compelling story inside and out (Yes. Your internal team needs to believe and stand by your story just as much as your target prospect!) Without research leading to a detailed plan and summation of who your brand is, what you stand for, tone of voice, strategic marketing tools, target consumer/client personas, competitive knowledge, etc… how can you truly make a stimulating impact with your marketing efforts?

Stay with me now.

Silver bullets do not exist in today’s fast paced marketing world. Yes, gems of genius can come from research and in-depth explorations of your brand that can help bring your marketing to a level above your competitors. However, those gems of genius all need to work together and breathe your brand tone, values and story in strategic and creative ways. Each touch point your consumer/client encounters with your brand needs to be consistent in message and experience.

If these touch points are delivered (by your internal team who believe in your brand) and received (by your target prospect) in the right manner, your marketing objectives will be successful. So, you see, a single silver bullet is not going to take you where you want to be in the big scheme of things. Sure, it might give you a quick boost, but it’s not going to sustain your forward movement. A comprehensive marketing plan and program will! I am a creative at heart, so I understand numbers, spreadsheets and research data can be a bit ‘dull’, but I believe in the big picture. These things are crucial and only make your brand stronger.

So, what do you want? A silver bullet, or would you rather enjoy the fruits of a deeply researched and highly thought out marketing/creative strategy that will feed your brand for the long haul? Yea… I thought you might choose the second option.If you have questions, feel free to send me a message. I’d love to hear your tales of experience or questions on the subject.